A former Borden Grammar School pupil is taking his prolific fundraising efforts to new heights by attempting to climb Africa’s tallest mountain.

Alastair Rushworth will travel to Tanzania in September to tackle mighty Mount Kilimanjaro.

The 19-year-old, a second year student at Loughborough University, needs to raise nearly £3,000 by August to take part in the challenge, with all proceeds going towards the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF).

Alastair, whose family home is Springfield Road, Sittingbourne, explained his need to scale the 19,000ft dormant volcano.

“I wanted to do something I’ve never done before - go to a new place, challenge myself to the limit and at the same time, raise money for a great charity.”

A trek to the summit of one of the world’s most imposing natural landmarks signals a bold new approach to

Alastair’s money-spinning modus operandi, which last year consisted of bucket collections in various parts of the UK and raised a total of £8,000 for charities including the MRF.

The sports science with management student said his motives for doing more than his share for good causes aren’t entirely altruistic.

He said: “I like the social side of going to different places and collecting. It’s a good way of meeting new people because they tend to want to come up to you and talk about their own experiences.

“For example, if I’m collecting for meningitis, someone will come up and say, ‘I had meningitis when I was young’ before given you a donation.”

To prepare for his six-day mountain adventure, Alastair will journey to the slightly less imposing foothills of the Lake District.

Encouraged by tales of fellow students who conquered “Kili” last year claiming it was the ”best thing they’d ever done”, Alastair is as driven to succeed by stories less triumphant.

He said: “I knew someone who climbed Kilimanjaro a few years back but never made it to the top because of altitude sickness.

“It made me want to go myself to see if I could do it.” To sponsor Alastair, visit www.justgiving.com/alirushworthkili